Christian Nodal Helps Launch Amazon Music’s “GEN MEX” Project

Posted on May 21, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Christian Nodal is helping spotlight on the next generation of Regional Mexican music…

Amazon Music has launched “GEN MEX: Your Generation of Música Mexicana” with an assist from the 23-year-old Mexican singer.

The project includes new music programming and editorial, including Amazon Originals, videos, livestreams, and a new video featuring Nodal where he introduces fans to Amazon’s new home of Música Mexicana.

Additionally, GEN MEX launches with more than 80 playlists and with Yahritza Y Su Esencia as the newly-named ROMPE artist.

“GEN MEX is a celebration of one of the fastest growing music categories within Latin music in the past few years, one that continues to transcend borders across Latin America, the U.S. and beyond,” said Rocio Guerrero, head of global Latin, Amazon Music. “To look ahead, you have to honor the legends that have passed down their traditions. GEN MEX will honor those roots, while helping to redefine its future, connecting fans across borders and generations and elevating the voices of those driving the culture forward.”

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Amazon Music LAT!N’s Angie Romero Among LAMC’s “Wonder Women of Latin Music” Honorees

Posted on April 7, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Angie Romero is a Wonder Woman…

The Latin Alternative Music Conference has announced the honorees for the third edition of its Wonder Women of Latin Music, including the Latina music executive who works for Amazon Music LAT!N.

The Wonder Women of Latin Music celebrates female leaders making a difference in the industry.

Presented by Amazon Music LAT!N, this year’s Class of 2022 includes 20 women who represent a range of companies and countries. As is tradition, the list was curated by the LAMC team spearheaded by founder Tomas Cookman.

According to LAMC, the 2022 Wonder Women of Latin Music will be recognized with a special award and a social media campaign.

Additionally, the free virtual conference — set to take place April 27-29 — will also host a Wonder Women of Latin Music panel as part of this year’s schedule. Speakers include Romero, The Latin Recording Academy’s Iveliesse Malavé, Apple Music’s Marissa Lopez, Creative Management Firm’s Yvette Medina, and artists Goyo from ChocQuibTown and Villano Antillano.

“It is so important for us to celebrate and uplift the voices of the women in our industry who have been instrumental in the tremendous growth of Latin music worldwide,” says Rocío Guerrero, global head of Latin Music for Amazon Music. “It is an honor to join LAMC in presenting the third annual Wonder Women of Latin Music awards that celebrate these accomplished women who continue to inspire us.”

This year’s LAMC will have a third annual virtual conference and, for the first time since 2019, the LAMC returns for an in-person event in New York set to take place July 6-9 at the Stewart Hotel. Registration for both the online and summer event is now open. For more information and/or to register, visit www.latinalternative.com.

Speakers for the online event include Pepe Aguilar,Kany Garcia,Guaynaa,Carla Morrison, Fito Paez and Ana Tijoux. Artists who will be part of the in-person event will be announced in the upcoming weeks.

Here’s the complete list of Wonder Women of Latin Music 2020 honorees:

Yvette Medina — Creative Management Firm
Pili Montilla — TV host and producer
Nerea Igualador — Sony Music U.S. Latin
Celeste Zendejas — CESAC
Angie Romero — Amazon Music
Amy Roland — Sony Music Publishing
Iveliesse Malavé — The Latin Recording Academy
Azucena Olvera — Pandora
Fátima Rodriguez — Grupo Toro
Loren Medina — Guerrera PR
Daniela Bosé — Palacio Vistalegre Arena
Patricia Flores — Apple Music
Tania Dorante — Meta
Inés Sapochnik — The Orchard
Monica Escobar — The 3 Collective
Fabiana Kulick — Live Nation
Núria Net — La Coctelera Music
Martha Ledezma — Fonovisa/Universal
Mariauxy Castillo-Vitale — Apple
María Montejo — Warner Music Colombia

Jesse y Joy Release Latin Rendition of the Holiday Classic “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” for Amazon Music Lat!n

Posted on November 22, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Jesse y Joy are hoping to get you into the holiday spirit…

Amazon Music LAT!N has launched a wave of festive content to get music lovers in the holiday spirit, from themed playlists to video interviews, and beyond, including an Amazon Original song from the Mexican Latin Grammy-winning brother & sister duo.

Kicking off this weekend, customers can enjoy Jesse y Joy’s Amazon Original song “Te Deseo Muy Felices Fiestas,”a Latin rendition of the holiday classic “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”

The Mexican duo is also teaming up with Amazon and its “Delivering Smiles” holiday campaign to give back to charitable organizations and the communities they serve this season.

Lele Pons gives the timeless song “Let It Snow” a Spanglish tropical twist in “Let It Snow (Navidad, Navidad, Navidad).”

“Lele Pons and Jesse & Joy are incredibly talented artists who are chart-toppers in their respective genres, so we knew they would create something very unique, exciting, and fresh- and they also share our passion for the holidays,” says Rocio Guerrero, global head of Latin Music at Amazon Music. “Their bilingual takes on classic tunes will delight fans.”

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Jose Feliciano’s iconic holiday classic “Feliz Navidad,” 30 artists including CNCO, Jon Secada, Frankie J, Jencarlos Canela, Pablo Montero, Julio Iglesias, Jr., , Jason Mraz, Gloria Gaynor, Patricia Manterola, and Lin-Manuel Miranda have joined forces for a special anniversary edition.

“Jose Feliciano’s ‘Feliz Navidad’ has been part of our holiday celebrations for generations! The opportunity to bring fans a fresh take on this beloved classic in honor of the song’s 50th Anniversary was a joy,” Guerrero says.

“Christmas is such a special time and we as a team were so excited to bring reimagined holiday favorites for our fans to enjoy,” Guerrero adds. “To bring fans extra holiday joy, we worked on exclusive holiday-themed content to go along with each song, as well as playlists to get fans through the season.”

According to Guerrero, Amazon does not plan on releasing more original Latin holiday songs, but fans will be able to enjoy the exclusive Christmas-themed content throughout the season. Listen and watch it here.

Becky G Among the Artists Featured as Part of Spotify’s Global Cultures Initiative & Global X Playlist

Posted on October 3, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Becky G is going Global X…

Spotify is urging listeners to “discover hits from around the world” with a new Global Cultures Initiative that “promotes and advances culturally diverse music,” with the 21-year-old Mexican American singer/rapper among the featured artists.

About 1 in 4 Spotify users around the world listens to music by artists from a culture (or country) different from their own, according to a post on the Spotify blog about new content features that will include diverse international music playlists.

The post points to the initiative’s relevance in “an age where many communities and cultures live in countries far away from their homelands. For example, 15 million [people of Lebanese descent] live in Brazil—more than in Lebanon itself.”

A goal of the new initiative is for “playlists to be as eclectic as our palates” and encourage listeners choose music the way they choose a restaurant: “Depending on the day, you may have a taste for Mexican, Chinese, or Italian cuisine.”

“Why is food from other countries so embedded in our culture and yet music isn’t?” Spotify Global Cultures head Rocio Guerrero is quoted as saying. “Because streaming didn’t exist. But now it’s happening.”

“We have launched numerous high-profile playlists and programs in the recent past but Global Cultures is poised to become one of the most important things we are doing as a leader in the field of streaming audio,” Guerrero adds.

Arab and African hubs will join already launched playlists devoted to the Desi and LatinX music in the coming weeks, with playlists featuring “top songs, both old and new, from diasporic communities around the world.”

Following the huge success of “Despacito” and other international crossover hits, Spotify has also just launched a “Global X” playlist featuring more than 50 songs.

It currently includes collaborative tracks featuring Becky G, Major Lazor, J Balvin, Cardi B and other names found on the Billboard charts.

“The playlist speaks to the global nature and allure of music, featuring hits from L.A. to Lagos,” according to the Spotify blog post.

Spotify Enhanching Its ¡Viva Latino! Playlist with Exclusive, Original Content from Daddy Yankee & More

Posted on November 15, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Spotify is upping it’s Latin Music game…

Spotify’s ¡Viva Latino! Playlist, which launched in 2014, has been connecting music lovers with some of the most established voices en el mundo Latino and giving a platform to emerging acts, all the while bridging cultural gaps regardless of language or origin.

But Spotify knows there’s more to music than just the finished product, and there’s more to an artist than what we hear on a single track. That’s why Spotify is upping the ante every Friday with a constantly refreshing playlist that brings fans even closer to their favorite Latin artists like J Balvin, Shakira or Daddy Yankee.

Starting this week, the new ¡Viva Latino! feed comes equipped with exclusive, original content, including videos from artists of all genres, behind-the-scenes tracks, and more.

According to Rocio Guerrero, head of global cultures at Spotify, the new enhanced playlist is poised to change the game, giving fans unparalleled access to the movers and shakers making a name for Latin music around the world.

“It’s a new playlist that we believe will take Latin culture to the next level. I don’t think there’s anything like it. It will have its own identity, original music videos and cover stories. We are relaunching [Viva Latino] with original music videos and audios. Every week we are going to have editorial content.”

Spotify isn’t stopping at behind-the-scenes exclusives, video premieres and original editorial content. They’re simultaneously introducing ¡Viva Latino! A Spotify Original Podcast, where every two weeks Latin music’s megastars contextualize their latest global hits charting on the Viva Latino playlist. The podcast is scheduled to feature luminaries like Jennifer Lopez, Jesse & Joy, Becky G, Bad Bunny, Carlos Vives and Bomba Estéreo, among many others.

Guerrero looks no further than this year in Latin music as an indicator of the genre’s promising future in pop culture.

“The recent successes of Latin artists such as Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee and J Balvin have shown us that music today knows no geographic boundary or language. Latin music has truly become a universal language. We want to not only celebrate, but continue to foster that growth by bringing fans one step closer to their favorite Latin artists, while giving emerging artists a platform to reach new ears.”

To get things started properly, Spotify has recruited some of the biggest names in music to help celebrate their first week:

11/14: Daddy Yankee ft. Bad Bunny “Vuelve”
11/15: Bomba Estereo “Química”
11/16: J Balvin “Mi Gente”
11/17: Luis Fonsi’s new single featuring Demi Lovato.
11/18: Carlos Vives “Nuestro Secreto”
11/19: Anittas new single “Downtown” featuring J Balvin.

The new ¡Viva Latino! is available in the U.S. and Latin America on both mobile (iOS & Android) and desktop for free and premium users. Check it out here.

Daddy Yankee Becomes First Latino Artist to Lead Spotify’s Global Artist List

Posted on July 10, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Daddy Yankee is the latest Spotify sensation…

The 40-year-old Puerto Rican rapper, known as the King of Reggaetón, has ousted Ed Sheeran from the No. 1 spot on Spotify to become the first Latino artist to lead the music platform.

Daddy Yankee has hits that include “Gasolina,” ”Shaky Shaky” and “Despacito,” a song co-written with Luis Fonsi.

He’s surpassed 44,735,586 monthly listeners to reach the first global spot, Spotify announced on Sunday in an email sent to the Associated Press.

“Being the first Latin artist to reach #1 in Spotify marks a precedent not only for my career but for the industry in general,” Daddy Yankee, whose real name is Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez, said in an email. “The musical digital revolution has unified the world and this is the proof. We are all in the same boat with no labels or stereotypes.”

He recalled that when he started his career in 1992 in Puerto Rico, many didn’t believe he would last more than three years, much less that he would become an international sensation.

“But I never stopped,” he said. “I had to keep fighting. I had to make big sacrifices, to miss important moments with my family, to feel the prejudice of many people that didn’t open the doors for me.”

Rocio Guerrero, Spotify’s head of Latin culture, shows and editorial says: “Spotify has been supporting Latin music for many years, and this is the moment that shows our passion and love for the genre are equally supported by our audience. We are grateful for all of our artists, and specifically for Daddy Yankee’s influence in bringing global appreciation to Latin music.”

The remix to “Despacito,” featuring additional vocals by Justin Bieber, is No. 1 on Spotify’s global charts.

More than a decade after Daddy Yankee’s best-selling album Barrio Fino and the single “Gasolina” that made him a global star, the Latin Grammy winner is still one of the most influential and recognizable names in reggaeton.

“Today, this genre is the most listened to in the world,” Daddy Yankee said. “Thanks to all the fans and colleagues that gave me the opportunity to collaborate with them. We did it!”

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